Signaling conductor



NOV. 6, 1928. 1,690,201

w. E. MOUGEY SIGNALING CONDUCTOR Filed Jan-61, 1927 fly/lll 0 l Alfamey netic material. 1 i

l effects which are Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

` WTLBRE. noUGEY, oF NEW Yonx, N. Y.,

1 1,690,201 PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO BELL TELEPHONE LABOR.A. TOBIES, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., `A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNALING CONDUCTOR.

Application mea :ranuaq 31, 1927, seria1 No.

This` invention relates to loaded conductors and more particularly to conductors which are loaded with a uniform covering of mag- `The object of the invention is to obtain a slight spacing of the magnetic covering from the conductor to permit the Vloaded conductorto be heat-treated Vwithout deleterious present when no spacing is provided. e

In the Vattainment of this object the'usual form of conductor comprising a central copper wire overlaid with spiralled copper tapes, isemployed, butthese tapes are applied to the central wire in` such a manner that only their edges are in Acontact with 'the central wire, and, after the loading material has been laid on inthe usual manner, the completed conductor `is compressed to force the copper tape to conform more closely to the surface of the central wire, thus reducingthe effective diameter of the stranded copper conductor. The applied force is insuicient to produce a set or permanentdeformation in the loading material; /Another `\method of causing the tapes" to con-form more closely to ythe shape of thecentral wire is to subject the conductor to twisting in such a directionas to force the tapes into closer contact with the central wire. Various magnetic materials have been proposedv forl inductive loading. In the continuous `form of loading, the usual procedure is to form the material into wire or tape, which is then wound-around the conductor to forma continuous layer of magnetic material.

Among themost suitable materials for loading are certain alloys includingr metals of the magnetic group, notably nickelvand iron, in various proportions, with or without other ingredients. In `order to obtain high permeability, or constancy of permeability, or certain other desirable characteristics in aly loys of-this sort, itis lfound to be necessary or at least desirable to subject the material, afterit has been applied to the conductor, to a heat treatment. It has been found, for example, fthat if loading material comprising about 7 81/275 nickeland 211% iron, is wound `tightly onthe conductor its permeability after heat treatment may be verymuch lessthan if the material is spaced from the conductor. Various explanationshave been proposed to account for this observed effect. It has been suggested that stresses-which ad- 164795211111 in Great Britain :rune 15, 192e.

- It has been found that this undesirable effect may be reduced, and indeed substantially eliminated7 if some provision is made to provide a small space between the loadingmaterialand the conductor during heat treatmentor to prevent the conductor and loading material from being forced into intimate contact during heat treatment. v-

It is common practice in making a loaded conductor to provide a `central conducting wire, with a circular cross-section, and `to strand upon the periphery of the wire'a plurality of flat tapes. lThe whole is usually rolled so that the flat tapes are pressed into Contact with the central wire and the composite conductor is given a substantially circular periphery. The loadingfr material, in the form of wire or tape,` is wound about the stranded conductor. 4

Amore detailed description of the invention follows and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 illustrates in cross-section the initial relative positions of the strands and the magnetic material on the central wire;

Fig. 2 shows one method of securing looseness between the conducting strands and the magnetic material by twistingthe conductor;

Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative method of securing looseness in the conductor by passing between rollers; Y

y Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a section of the conductor with portions cutaway to clearly illustrate the invention; and y y Fig. 5 shows in cross-section the composite conductor with the copper strands conforming tothe surface of the central Wire thereby7 providing a spaced between the strands and conducting strands are arcuated before being applied to the central wire 11 so that their inner surfaces have a radius of curvature smaller than the surface of the .cylindrical central wire, whereby the conducting Strands are only in contact with the central wire along their inner edges. A layer of magnetic material 12 preferably of a nickeliron alloy in the form of a tape is wound over the conducting strands 10 to form the composite conductor.

Any suitable number of copper strands or tapes, for example four or six, may of course be employed and the width of these should be chosen so as to allow room for them when they are forced to conform more closely to the central wire.

The yconducting strands 10 are then compressed by any suitable means into more complete contact with the central wire. One method of acconiplishingthis result is shown in Fig. Q in which a supply reel 13 upon which the loaded conductor is wound, is mounted in a forked support 1l, the rotatable shaft 15 of which is supported by a` suitable bearing 1G. Upon the end of the shaft 15 there is securely fixed a gear 1T which meshes with a similar gear 18, rigidly secured to a driving shaftl 19 upon the opposite end of which is mounted a bevelled gear Q0. The bevelled gear 2O meshes with a bevelled pinion 21 mounted on a shaft 22 which also carries a capstan Q3, and a pulley 2i at opposite ends thereof. A belt 25 passing over pulley 2st and a similar pulley QG on a shaft 2T is arranged to rotate a reel 28 upon which the loaded conductor is wound from the capstan Q3. The driving shaft 1S) is rotated by means of a motor 29 upon the shaft of which is a pinion 30 engaging the gear 18 and since the capstan 23 and the reel 13 are driven by the shaft ,19, the reel 13 is rotated with respect to the linear travel of the conductor. T he rotation of reel 13 causes the length of conductor extending between reel 13 and the capstan Q3 to be twisted in such a direction that the copper strands -10 are tightened upon the central wire 11 and since the inagnetic tape 12 is wound in an opposite direction, this material is loosened and a slight spacing therefore occurs between the tape and the conductor strands. The relative positions of the central wire, the strands and the magnetic tape is more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in which the strands 10 conform to the surface of the central wire 11 and the magnetic tape assumes a loosened position around the copper strands with a small spacing 31 between the strands and the tape.

Another method of obtaining the saine re sult is shown in Fig. 3 in which one pair of opposed grooved rollers 32 and a second nair of grooved rollers 33, one of which is shown, arranged at right angles to the rollers 32,

force the copper strands 10 into conformity with the central wire and thereby provide the necessary spacing between the strands and the magnetic tape. The loading tape 12 assumes a loosened position around the conductor be fause of its springy character, while the soft copper strands remain in more complete contact with the central wire 11. These arrangements provide a suiiicient space for the expansion and contraction et' .the conducting element of the conductor during the subsequent heat treatment and coolingr process without seriously affecting the magnetir properties oi' the loading material.

iVhile the above detailed description 11clates to a specific embodiment of the invention various other mcalitications may Vbe de vised to accomplish the same result and the invention is only to be limited within the scope of the appended claims.

lli/That is claimed is:

1. The method of producing ay signaling conductor having an inner portion and a n1etallic covering fitting said inner portion loosely, which comprises applying a strand having edges to a cylindrical strand so that only the edges of the strand are in `.Contact with the cylindrical strand to form the inner portion, applying a metallic covering over said inner portion, and 'forcing said applied strand into substantially complete contact with said cylindrical strand, to space said metallic covering therefrom.

2. The method of producing a signaling conductor having an inner conducting portion and a metallic wrapping on Said con ducting portion, which comprises applying a strand having edges to a cylindrical strand so that only the edges are in contact with the cylindrical strand, wrapping a metallic layer about said strand, and twisting the wrapped conductor, to force the applied strand to collforin to the surface of the cylindrical strand.

3. The method of producing a signaling conductor having ay conducting portion and a metallic covering fitting said conducting portion loosely which comprises forming a conducting strand of material which may he con'iparatively easily deformed and of such shape that it will have contact only at its edges with a central strand upon which it is to be wrapped, wrapping said conducting strand about said central Strand to form said inner portion, applying the metallic covering by wrapping helically thereabout a material which is less easily deformed. and subsequently deforming said eaSily deformed strand without permanently (informing the covering.

4. The method of loading a signaling conductor with loadingT material which requires heat treatment to give it a desired electrical or magnetic characteristic, which comprises applying a metallic strand to a cylindrical central strand, said applied Strand boing arcuated and having a surface curvature of less radius than the surface ofA said central strand so as not to conform to the cylindrical surface of the centra-l strand, applying a layer of loading material around said arcuated strand, and subsequentlyrforcing said arcuated strand into conformity with the surface of said central strand.

5. The method of loading a signaling conductor with loading material which requires heat treatment to give it a desired electrical or magnetic characteristic which comprises wrapping around a cylindricalstrand a plurality of metallic strands so shaped as to have Contact with the cylindrical strand only at their edges, wrapping the loading material around said metallic strands, and subsequently changing the diameter of said metallicstrands whereby the loading material is loosened.

6. The methodof loading a. signaling con- Y ductor with loading material which requires In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of January, A. D.,

yWILBUR E. MOUGEY. 

